1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to telecommunications systems, and specifically to aggregating customer information in relation to use of the telecommunications network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Customer information is important to any commercial enterprise. The field of telecommunications is no exception, and this field is becoming increasingly based on individual customer applications. For example, a common application is to give customers better calling rates for their larger volumes of traffic. In order to implement these applications, pertinent individualized customer information must be collected and put into a usable format. Often, this information is based on customer use of the network, i.e. their larger volumes of traffic. At present, telecommunications systems ask the customer to predict the pertinent information prior to using it in a particular application.
For example, some systems require that the customer select in advance the area code to which they will direct the largest amount of their traffic. If the predicted area code does not actually receive the largest amount of traffic, the customer loses value. Other systems require that the customer select in advance a limited number of destination numbers to which they will direct the largest amount of traffic. If the actual destination numbers that receive the largest amount of traffic are not on the predicted list, the customer loses value. Further, these systems may require that the chosen destination numbers also be customers of the same interexchange carrier. In this case, even if a predicted destination number receives the largest amount of the customer's traffic, no benefit to the customer will apply. Additionally, since the customer is only concerned if a number on the limited list of destination numbers is a customer, the customer has no motivation to encourage others to become customers of their interexchange carrier. This is a disadvantage to the interexchange carrier.
As a result, the customer must accurately predict the future telecommunications use which forms the basis for the customer information used in an application. Often, these predictions, i.e. their larger volumes of traffic, are not accurate, and value from an application is lost. In any event, the application is not maximized.
Telecommunications systems do not select customer information which is based on the use that is the subject of a particular application. The best customer information for a particular application is information based on the customer activity which is subject to the application. At present, customer information must be predicted prior to this activity.
Some systems have also provided post-billing information to a customer. These systems accumulated the information for use in interpreting the billing information, and for use in planning future calling activity. These systems did not aggregate information to be used directly in a customer application, such as billing. In other words, these systems accumulated customer information from a bill, but they did not aggregate customer information prior to billing that could be used for billing purposes.